Ok, sorry for the wait everybody I should have had this chapter done sooner, but like they say better late than never. Right...right? Anyways to Serrene Panda thanks for catching my spelling errors, no problem being a spelling nazi as long as you don't have a concentration camp waiting for me. Well, you're right Deidara is a guy in Kishimoto's story, but I like him as a her so in my story I am GOD and that's how it's going to go...Muahahaha. As always thanx everybody that submitted a review, this is my first fight scene so please let me know what you think. I hope I did a good job describing the fight (have fingers crossed) well I hope everybody enjoys this ch.
As always I don't own Naruto in any way shape or form, but if I did this is how it would go.
PIECES SET IN MOTION
Hirai ran at full speed to Kankarou's room going over the recent events in her mind. After Temari had left she helped Gaara in any way she could. It felt great thinking that Gaara would acknowledge her somehow, so she never hesitated in doing anything he asked. If he asked her to toss herself off a cliff she would just ask which one, that's how eager she was to please. Of course she would never show it, but if you met inner Hirai it would be obvious. When she handed in papers to Gaara so that he could go over them it was always the same routine. Inner Hirai would toss herself off some tall imaginary cliff and just free fall while Gaara pointed out the mistakes, hitting a jutting stone on the cliff's face each time he sounded really concerned and then continuing on her way down. Only to be saved by cloud nine when Gaara thanked her, looking directly at her with his green haunted eyes and making her feel like everything was well with the world once more. She almost let her emotions show when Kankarou returned from his mission to give his report. Inadvertently cutting into her Gaara-time. They had sent her to wait outside while he gave his report. This is when inner Hirai almost lost it.
(BAAKKAA! How can you be standing out here so calmly, Gaara wasn't satisfied with our work. He didn't thank us yet.) Inner Hirai had bawled. It got to the point where she was blaming Kankarou for her current emotional state. (That bastard! He knew I was having my Gaara-time and wanted to make me suffer for some unknown reason. Suggesting I should wait outside! He wants to deprive us of our soon to be relationship! AAGGGGHHHHH! THAT BASTARD!) At that moment Kankarou stepped out and walked past her. His back was to her and she was wound so tight she thought she was going to explode. Suddenly before she had time to act on any thoughts that were starting to cross her mind a hand fell on her shoulder.
"Sorry to make you wait so long, let's finish our work." Gaara said then took his hand off her shoulder and walked back in. Offhandedly saying, "You are doing well, Hirai."
Hirai thought she was going to melt into the floor. (He is sooooo going to be mine!) "hai" she calmly responded and followed him in. "What news did Kankarou bring."
Gaara stopped at his desk not turning around, "He brought news from the sensei of somebody who I greatly respect." He bowed his head then regained his composure and went to sit down.
This last comment made her really curious. She wanted to ask, but couldn't bring herself to do so. She hadn't known Gaara for too long but in all her time she never imagined that he had an equal or, there she blasphemy and think, a person he admired. This had been running through her mind for a while and she was still thinking about it when they heard the blast. Now she found herself running to get Kankarou to aid Gaara against some unknown adversary. Her pride hurt knowing that she had to go get him because she was still to weak to help on her own. However, she knew it was also not only a question of strength because they didn't know the opponent's strength and it might turn out that Kankarou wasn't even needed, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
The blond intruder thought the infiltration had been a success. She had designed three spider shaped dolls about half the size of a fist and dropped them at the different guard posts from the air. The dolls were able to move and climbed onto the guards at the posts. Once the dolls were where she wanted them she made them explode, easily taking out the guards. That had been the easy part, she thought that finding her objective would be much harder. This was not to be because as it turned out her objective had found her.
Gaara was standing on top of the building defiantly. The cap of his gourd already removed and sand starting to gather around him. He saw the giant clay bird almost instantly and prepared to attack. His control of the Shukaku's power had improved steadily and he was starting to manage it with a high degree of success. He pointed his arm towards the enemy and maintained his palm open. He focused his power and attacked. Sand seemed to gather next to Gaaras feet and shoot out of the building at a high speed. It had the same shape and speed as a crude battering ram. It gained speed with every meter it traveled and the size increased at the same rate. Making it look like the Kazekage's building was erupting like a volcano.
The intruder saw this and was impressed with Gaara's control. She was able to avoid the attack, but saw that the fight was just beginning because the sand was still gathering under Gaara raising him into the sky. She had avoided the first attack as it had overshot her and she prepared to make her move. She stopped however when she saw that the sand of the first attack had maintained its shape, even though it had separated from the building on which Gaara was standing. She followed the path of the sand to see it was coming back at her at frightening speed. She changed directions immediately to avoid this second attack. She had underestimated this brat. She was quickly forming tiny clay birds as she was evading attacks. She threw the four birds in her hand. Two hit what now looked like a giant paw of sand that was Gaara's first attack. One hit the second rudimentary paw that was Gaara's second attack. Neither slowed the attacks in the slightest. The last was blocked by the sand in Gaara's gourd. She now knew what she had to do to beat Gaara, but it would not be easy. Gaara's attacks were starting to gain on her clay bird, and Gaara had unleashed a third attack. His second giant sand paw had also lifted off the building and was flying at her and great speeds. She was releasing small clay birds that were flying around the larger one, and frantically making more.
Gaara had no idea what this stranger wanted, but he would not let her be successful. He spread his fingers further apart momentarily and all the sand paws flattened and increased in size becoming thinner. The first one was under the strangers bottom left and was passing her up while the second paw was passing her up on her top right. She was being surrounded by a small flock of clay birds, but Gaara planned to destroy them as well. His third sand paw was gaining on her from behind as well. She sent a few clay dolls flying towards Gaara it looked like five. One was stopped by sand breaking off the paw and colliding with it causing a small explosion. Gaara noticed the explosion, but was unable to gage it's power because the sand surrounded it hiding it's potential. Some of the sand broke off the paw from a different area and came after the surviving birds at a much higher speed overtaking them and protecting Gaara. The same effect happened to these clay birds there was an explosion the same as the first clay bird. Gaara was unmoved.
His giant paws had surrounded her. This is not a good situation, she thought to herself. If she didn't do this exactly right she would die right here. Two paws were in front of her creating a semi-circular wall that was limiting her maneuvering abilities and the third paw was closing in on her. She had four birds ready and was making a fifth, I will succeed, she though, oh yeah.
Gaara had the paws successfully forming a complete circle around her. He saw the clay birds trying to escape, but it was to late now the sand had now completely surrounded them. He thought to himself, this fight is now over. He made a fist and tightened it yelling "Desert Coffin!"
Back in Konoha. Naruto's jaw had dropped to the ground when Temari gave him the news of Gaara's ascension to Kazekage. Naruto's mouth closed and he started laughing. "Oh, I get it. This is some sort of joke. Hahaha." Naruto's laughter died as he saw the look on his friends' faces.
"Why, do you think that would be a joke Naruto?" Temari asked, "Gaara has really changed and as you know he is very strong, the strongest in our village." She went on, though in her mind it was still a struggle to believe that three years ago this runt beat their Kazekage and he was still only a gennin.
Shikamaru intervened knowing that Temari didn't really know Naruto or the effects her comments may have on him. "No, Naruto this is not a joke." For the first time since running into him Shikamaru could not see any emotions on his old comrades face. He could not imagine what Naruto was going through having always dreamed of being Hokage, always worked for that goal, could be thinking upon hearing that one of his peers had accomplished the goal he so desperately wanted in such a short time.
Naruto didn't really know what to think. He had been away for so long he felt foolish now thinking that everything would be the way it had been before he left. He had been disappointed a little bit when he found out that he had been the last gennin of his class. This however really broke into his thoughts, he trained all those years and was nowhere closer to his dream. He looked at his comrades with reflective eyes and a smile barely touched his lips.
"I'm glad then,I'm glad Gaara is Kazekage. It means that my dream isn't so unattainable. If Gaara is Kazekage then that gives me hope, because if he can accomplish his dream, then I know I can't give up on mine." Naruto's smile grew wider, "I will be Hokage, you guys just wait. I will be the best Hokage anybody has ever known. Believe it! I won't fail." Naruto was back to his hyper self, pointing at the mountain and yelling. "My face will one day be on that moun..." Naruto's jaw dropped once again as he looked at the mountain for the first time.
Naruto's excitement was contagious, Temari and Shikamaru were highly entertained by Naruto's reaction to the news. They were both unaware of the smile on their faces as they followed Naruto's gaze. "What is it?" Temari asked.
"How long has old lady Tsunade's mug been plastered on the mountain?" Naruto demanded. Once again everybody was floored by Naruto's question.
"It's been up there for about a year." Shikamaru answered. "How could you not see it when you returned or your whole time here so far?" He asked. Damn, he thought, Naruto is blind. Everyone awaited his answer.
Naruto was in a thinking position with his hand on his chin and his arm across his chest. "Well it's been an eventful return. I just haven't paid attention to it." He nodded his head thinking that should be a good enough answer.
"You haven't changed at all." Shikamaru said.
"So, I guess you guys are going to eat. Well, me and Konohamaru will leave you to your business. We have business to take care of, Right Konohamaru." Konohamaru nodded his head in agreement.
Shikamaru went in, Temari stood where she was, "Naruto-kun, Gaara asked me to tell you something." Temari said.
Naruto put his hands behind his head and asked, "What is it?"
"He would like to extend an invitation to you, you would be welcome at any time." Temari said, "He has some things he would like to discuss with you. Will you accept his invitation?" Her tone was grave in awaiting the answer.
"Yeah Temari, that wouldn't be half bad." Naruto said. "I wouldn't mind asking him to give me tips on how to handle being a kage. After all we are allies now so there is nothing wrong with going over there now is there." Naruto nodded his head and smiled at Temari.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun Gaara will be glad to hear your response." She didn't say it, but she was also glad to hear his response. She couldn't think of a worse scenario than telling Gaara that he had been refused by the one person he admired. She still didn't understand why Gaara respected this guy so much, but she was glad she wouldn't have to disappoint Gaara any more. Temari then followed Shikamaru leaving Naruto and Konohamaru outside the stand.
Elsewhere Hinata was walking with Kiba and Shino trying to organize her thoughts and assess all the information she had gotten. It was hard concentrating because she wanted to give Naruto her news, as well as her gift. Unfortunately they had been given a mission and she had to do what was asked of her. Kurenai-sensei had given them the details the mission had been assigned by the Hokage and Kurenai could not help them on this mission because she had been given another mission. The circumstances bothered team 8 a little bit, because the purpose of the mission and circumstances didn't really make sense to them. They didn't have a jounnin in the group, so that peeked their interest. Then there was the fact that their target was in the village and their objective was simply to escort the target to the Hokages office. They had a time limit but Kurenai said the important thing was getting their target there, if this was accomplished the time limit would not matter. What really bothered them was Kurenai reaction when she saw the face of the target they were after. Flashback.
Kurenai handed them the folder containing the specific information on the target. "The hokage says this is a level B mission, I wish I could help, but the hokage has her reason's for her actions. Though a simple escort mission and in the same village I don't know what would make it a level B" Kurenai said, she reflected on this momentarily before deciding to bid her subordinates farewell. "Well, take care I have confidence it won't be to hard for you three." She turned around when Shino stopped her.
"There is only a picture in here, no information was given, do you know anything about our target? Here's the picture." Shino was holding the picture so she could view. When her eyes landed on the picture she jumped back about five feet in shock.
"Nani! That's your target, what is the hokage thinking! That's no level B mission, even a group of jounnin would have trouble with that! I hope she's just sending you to make sure he gets to her office and you don't have to fight him. I am so confused." A sweatdrop popped up on her forhead and her arms fell limply. "I hope the hokage knows what she's doing, well I have to go, but you might want to look around the bath houses, or areas around rivers where girls might bathe. Be very careful and good luck." She turned grumbling to herself and waved good-bye to them and left them standing there.
They decided to take Kurenai's advice and headed to the bathhouse. It didn't take to long they had arrived at the bath houses and were about to begin their mission. They all let out a breath of air and began their search.
As always please feel free to review.